Soulmates, Inc
by CreativeReading
Summary: Soulmates, Inc. has a proven track record of ensuring compatibility. WinterShock story. Darcy/Bucky
1. Chapter 1

**Soulmates, Inc.**

Darcy's eyes were beginning to glaze over as Jane began one of her "Thor is the most amazing man ever" speeches. It's not that that she didn't believe that Thor was a great guy or the perfect fit for Jane, but there was only so much that a single gal could reasonably take the week before Valentine's Day.

"Whatever . . . I don't even believe in soulmates," Darcy declared off-handedly as she sprawled onto the couch of Jane's mom's apartment.

"W . . . w . . . what . . . . what do you mean you don't believe in soulmates?" Jane sputtered at Darcy's nearly sacrilegious statement.

"It's a hoax."

"There's scientific proof."

"You're only saying that because you put Thor in the system and you were right about him."

Jane shook her head violently. "That's not the only reason. The research . . ."

"Whatever," Darcy repeated putting in her earbuds, deliberately ignoring Jane.

SoulmatesInc. was a company with a proven track record. Over the years, they'd use their computer algorithms to match up hundreds of thousands of couples. Within a decade, no one even bothered getting married without running their prospective mate through the battery of on-line tests that ensured 100% compatibility.

Except for Darcy it seemed.

Her track record had been dismal so far.

Ian the intern - failed match.

Mike from the apartment building next door - failed match.

Clint Barton - failed match (Darcy knew that was a long shot but had to try anyway, especially after seeing him in a sleeveless shirt).

That left Darcy as a permanent third wheel, hanging out with Thor and Jane, muscling in on their couple time.

And she was really beginning to hate it.

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"C'mon, Buck. You should try it," Steve chided as they finished their regular sparring session. He began to unwrap his hands, placing the gauze and tape to one side as he went.

"It's ridiculous," scoffed Bucky, folding his arms in front of him. "I can't believe you, of all people, got suckered into thinking that a computer could find you love."

"Sharon and I . . . ."

"Ugh . . . no more talk about your romance, Rogers," Bucky nearly growled. If he had to hear one more time about the amazing Sharon Carter, he'd stuff his own ears with cotton balls.

"Why won't you at least give it a try?"

"'Cause it's a scam," Bucky retorted. "You give away a ton of personal information for free to a data mining company."

Steve snorted and rolled his eyes. "What do you know about data mining?"

"I read," Bucky replied defensively. He took a sip out of his water bottle, recalling the details of the newspaper stories. "I must have read a half dozen articles criticizing that company for its practices. You're being naive, Steve, if you think they are matching people up through the goodness of their hearts."

"And you're being cynical," Steve shot back.

"Not wanting to put my trust into a shadowy organization with dubious business practices is hardly being cynical, Steve."

"Soulmates, Inc. is hardly Hydra." Steve winced as Bucky flinched at the name, instantly remorseful that he'd brought it up. "Look . . . I'm sorry. That was a low blow."

"It's fine . . ." Bucky swallowed hard. "So, I admit it. I've got trust issues. My shrink says it's normal . . . after everything." His voice trailed off and his eyes were unfocused for a moment, lost in a sea of painful memories.

"Could you at least just give it a try?" Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe."

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- I'm thinking of writing a bit of a WinterShock soulmates Valentine's Day story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Darcy walked by the shops, pulling her coat a bit tighter around her as the cool damp air seemed to seep in through her clothes, clinging to her skin. Yet another Valentine's Day had come and gone, leaving a deluge of half-priced cards and heart-shaped balloons in its wake.

Thor and Jane had tried to be kind in their own way, giving her a box of Godiva chocolates so large she could barely lift it. She ate a third of the box before even she had to admit defeat and stuck the rest in the freezer. Her mother had sent her an outrageously overpriced bouquet of flowers and her great-aunt had mailed her a cheery card filled with news from home.

And while all those gestures were sweet, Darcy still couldn't help but feel a bit wistful as she watched one couple after another pair off.

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"How are you doing?" Jane asked Darcy one afternoon, while Thor was out getting groceries. He'd finally mastered the art of buying just enough for the three of them, instead of buying ten times as much as they needed as he was accustomed to Asgardian appetites.

Darcy was sitting on her bed, listening to some music on her phone. She took out her earbuds and gave Jane a half-hearted smile. "Fine. I'm good. Just a little . . . . homesick."

"Homesick?" Jane asked skeptically as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Heartsick, I guess." Darcy swallowed hard. "It's like the whole world was playing musical chairs and, all of the sudden, I got left out."

"Oh, Darcy," Jane sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "You know we love you, right? Both me and Thor?"

"I know. I do. And it means a lot. It really does. It's just . . ." Darcy trailed off, wiping the tears that began to spill down her cheek.

"I get it." Jane bit her lower lip. "You could always try the universal option," she offered.

Darcy shook her head dismissively. Soulmates, Inc. had a few different levels of pricing. The first was $19.99 to try out a single compatibility match. You entered your name and the name of the person you were interested in and waited to see if you were a match. The second tier was $29.99 and you could put in three names for a possible match. The third tier was $49.99 for a total of ten names.

The universal option, however, was different. For $999.99 you could have Soulmates, Inc. comb through their entire database to find you your perfect match (99.98% compatibility or higher). Of course, that person could be anywhere in the world. There had been some highly publicized success stories coming from that option, but also some rather harrowing ones. There were stories of people finding out that they were most compatible with their sister's boyfriend or their worst enemy or someone living on the other side of the planet. Not to mention that the universal option sometimes took months for the database to retrieve that one person that they were most compatible with.

"I'll just have to hope that special someone's out there looking for me," Darcy shrugged. Unpaid interns had to be careful with their discretionary spending after all.

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On the other side of the Atlantic, Bucky was trying his hardest to completely ignore his best friend.

"And then, she made me homemade ziti," Steve said, his eyes aglow as he paced around their apartment. "Best dish I've eaten in . . . . decades."

"Yeah, yeah. She's perfect," Bucky said in a monotone, not even looking up from the TV set.

"You haven't heard a word I've said."

"The game is on," Bucky pointed to the TV.

"What game?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who's playing?"

Bucky hesitated as he peered at the screen. "Um . . . the . . . ."

"You're not even watching it!"

Bucky let out a long sigh of exasperation. "Look, I can't handle another 'my girlfriend is perfect' rant. Really, I can't."

"We're soulmates," Steve replied defensively, plopping on opposite end of the couch.

"There's no such thing. I told you; it's a scam."

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, Barnes?" Steve asked, a smug grin on his face. "Try and find your own soulmate."

"You're not baiting me, Rogers," Bucky growled in reply. "I'm not throwing away good money prove a point."

"So, why not a bet?"

"A bet?" Bucky asked.

"How about this? You enter in the information for the universal option. When the name comes back, you go on one date with your soulmate. If you can't stand her, I'll cover the thousand dollars," Steve replied.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "I'm not that rusty, Steve. I can meet a girl without shelling out what used to be the cost of car back in the day."

Steve crossed his arms in front of him and cocked an eyebrow. "But can you meet your soulmate?"

"Ugh," Bucky growled.

"C'mon, Bucky," Steve chided. "What have you got to lose?"

"What's left of my dignity?" Bucky quipped. He stared at the Steve's earnest expression. "Fine. Fine. If only to get you off my back," he agreed.

A grin engulfed Steve's face. "You'll see. This'll be the best decision you've ever made."

Bucky shook his head as he chucked a pillow at Steve, who easily caught it. "I'm already regretting it."

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- As you can tell, the second chapter took a while to get written. The good news is that I've got the rest of the story plotted out and it should come a bit quicker.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks and no email.

No notification.

No indication whatsoever that Soulmates, Inc. even acknowledged him.

Two weeks ago, as soon as he had entered his credit card information, he had dutifully received an email receipt for his thousand dollar "investment" in his floundering love life.

But since then, nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

His fingers floated over the phone. He couldn't keep checking his status on the site. All it ever said was "search being completed".

He hadn't meant to get so caught up in it. He thought the program would spit out a name, he'd take the girl on one lousy date and then before he knew it, Steve would be forking over $1,000 with egg on his face.

Instead, he found himself constantly checking his email, waiting for the confirmation that Soulmates, Inc. had found him his perfect match.

No such luck.

He shook his head, trying to focus on the present. Steve had talked him into giving up their apartment in Brooklyn and moving into the "Avengers Tower" near Central Park. Bucky had argued against it, but the elimination of an hour long commute every time they convened at the Tower was a powerful motivator. Not to mention getting to stay rent-free in the furnished two bedroom apartments that Tony had renovated.

And, truth be told, as much as Bucky enjoyed sharing an apartment with Steve, having Sharon over so often made him long to have his own space. She was great and all, but Bucky couldn't help but feel like a third wheel. It made him appreciate all that Steve went through when they were younger and Bucky always had a girl on his arm.

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Darcy lugged the last of her boxes down the hall. Although Tony had sprung for a moving company to move everyone into the Tower, Darcy still had one or two things she couldn't bear to have some unknown men tossing around in their van. So, her laptop, a couple of framed photos and a few other mementos were placed gently into boxes so that she could personally bring them up to her very own apartment.

Her very own apartment.

She was 27 years old and, for the first time in her life, she had her own apartment.

She loved the sound of that.

Living with Jane and Thor was great, but with the baby on the way, it was only a matter of time before Darcy was going to get edged out of their two bedroom apartment in England.

Or stuck as an unpaid nanny, as well as an unpaid intern.

And, as much as she loved Jane and Thor, Darcy was looking forward to living and working at the Tower. All the Avengers together under one roof.

She sighed a bit and straightened her shoulders as she jostled the box a bit. Each box seemed heavier than the previous and the last one was causing her back and arms to ache.

"Can I help you with that?" came a voice behind her.

Darcy turned to see an impossibly handsome man grinning down at her.

"Uh . . . actually. Yeah. I'd appreciate," she said as she handed the box over to him and she shivered as her fingertips brushed his. "Thanks. I'm Darcy."

He shook her hand, easily holding the box with one arm. "Bucky. But . . . actually we've met before."

Darcy squinted at him, taking in his deep blue eyes and the way his henley shirt was stretched so tight that it looked like it was about to burst. She sucked in a noisy breath as she eyed him in appreciation. "I think I would have remembered you."

"No, really. It was about a year ago, at Thor and Jane's wedding. You weren't feeling well . . ."

A sick feeling enveloped Darcy as the events of that night replayed themselves in her head. "I threw up on your shoes."

Thor had brought some Asgardian ale to the wedding and had warned the guests that it was "far too strong for human consumption", giving it only to a select few Avengers who he felt could handle it. Darcy was determined to prove him wrong and snuck one sip of the forbidden brew while no one was looking.

Thor had been right.

He had been so very right.

Darcy felt flush with embarrassment. "I'm sorry . . . I don't normally . . ."

Bucky chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time that's happened. I tried getting Steve to drunk once . . . after his ma passed away. Poor kid couldn't handle his liquor, either."

"It's not that, it's . . ." Darcy began, but shook her head. "Never mind." She gestured to the door of her apartment. "Uh . . . . this is me. Number 8."

"I'm right across the hall. Nine."

"Isn't that convenient?"

He flashed her a rougish grin. "Isn't it, though?"

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- Thank you so much for all of your comments and reviews! Your support and enthusiasm are the reason that I decided to continue with this story.


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